The Rajasthan Public Service Commission has released the detailed recruitment advertisement for the Rajasthan State and Subordinate Services Combined Competitive Examination 2026. Candidates preparing for the RPSC RAS 2026 examination should now check the exam pattern carefully, as the selection process will be conducted in multiple stages.
As per the advertisement, the recruitment covers 607 posts, including 192 State Service posts and 415 Subordinate Service posts. The examination will be held through the Combined Competitive Examination process, which includes Preliminary Examination, Main Examination and Personality/ Viva-Voce stage.
For aspirants, the RPSC RAS syllabus and exam pattern are equally important because the Preliminary Examination works as a screening test, while the Main Examination and interview stage play a major role in final selection.
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RPSC RAS 2026 Exam Pattern: Selection Will Be Held in Two Main Stages
The RPSC RAS Combined Competitive Examination will be conducted in two successive stages. The first stage is the Preliminary Examination, and the second stage includes the Main Examination, followed by Personality and Viva-Voce.
The Preliminary Examination will be objective in nature. It is conducted only to shortlist candidates for the Main Examination. This means the marks obtained in the Prelims will not be counted while preparing the final order of merit.
The Main Examination will be descriptive in nature. Candidates shortlisted from the Preliminary Examination will appear in four papers. After the written Main Examination, shortlisted candidates will be called for the Personality and Viva-Voce stage.
RPSC RAS Preliminary Exam Pattern 2026
The RPSC RAS Preliminary Examination will consist of one paper. The paper will be an objective type and will carry a maximum of 200 marks. The standard of the paper will be of Bachelor’s Degree level.
The subject for the Preliminary Examination will be General Knowledge and General Science. Candidates will get three hours to complete the paper.
| Stage | Subject | Maximum Marks | Time | Nature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary Exam | General Knowledge and General Science | 200 | 3 Hours | Objective Type |
The Prelims score will be used only for screening candidates for the Main Examination. It will not be added to the final merit list.
RPSC RAS Prelims Syllabus 2026: Important Areas Candidates Should Cover
The official notification mentions the Prelims paper as General Knowledge and General Science. Based on the usual RPSC RAS examination structure, candidates should prepare Rajasthan-specific topics along with national and general awareness areas.
The Rajasthan section is highly important. Candidates should focus on Rajasthan’s history, art, culture, literature, traditions, heritage, geography, economy, polity, administrative system, welfare schemes and current affairs related to the state.
For the broader General Knowledge section, candidates should prepare Indian history, Indian polity, Constitution, governance, economy, geography, environment, science and technology, reasoning ability and current events of national and international importance.
The General Science section generally tests basic conceptual understanding. Questions may be asked from everyday science, basic physics, chemistry, biology, environment, health, biotechnology, space technology and scientific developments.
RPSC RAS Main Exam Pattern 2026
Candidates who qualify in the Preliminary Examination will be admitted to the Main Examination. As per the advertisement, the number of candidates admitted to the Main Examination will be around 15 times the approximate number of vacancies to be filled in the year.
The Main Examination will include four papers. Each paper will carry 200 marks, and the time allowed for each paper will be three hours.
| Paper | Subject | Maximum Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | General Studies-I | 200 | 3 Hours |
| Paper II | General Studies-II | 200 | 3 Hours |
| Paper III | General Studies-III | 200 | 3 Hours |
| Paper IV | General Hindi and General English | 200 | 3 Hours |
The Main Examination papers will include brief, medium, long answer and descriptive-type questions. The standard of General Hindi and General English will be of Senior Secondary level.
RPSC RAS Main Syllabus 2026: Paper-Wise Preparation Focus
The detailed syllabus should be checked from the official RPSC syllabus document whenever issued or available on the commission’s website. However, for preparation purposes, candidates can follow the standard RPSC RAS paper-wise structure.
General Studies-I
This paper generally covers history, culture, economy and society-related areas. Candidates should prepare Indian history, modern India, freedom movement, Rajasthan history, Rajasthan art and culture, world history, Indian economy, Rajasthan economy and society-related topics.
A strong command over Rajasthan-specific history and culture is important because RPSC usually gives significant weight to state-focused content. Topics such as folk traditions, major dynasties, architecture, literature, festivals, fairs and social reform movements should not be ignored.
General Studies-II
This paper usually focuses on governance, polity, administration and public policy. Candidates should prepare the Indian Constitution, political system, administrative structure, public administration, governance, welfare schemes and Rajasthan’s administrative framework.
Current developments related to policy, governance, law, rights, social justice and public welfare should also be covered. Candidates should connect static topics with recent government initiatives and administrative developments.
General Studies-III
This paper generally includes science and technology, reasoning, data interpretation, environment, ethics and related applied areas. Candidates should revise basic science, ICT, space, biotechnology, environmental issues, disaster management and decision-making areas.
To score well, candidates should also practise analytical questions. Since the Main Examination is descriptive, answers should be structured, factual and supported by examples wherever required.
General Hindi and General English
Paper IV will test language ability. The notification states that the standard of General Hindi and General English will be Senior Secondary level.
Candidates should prepare grammar, comprehension, précis writing, translation, vocabulary, sentence correction and basic writing skills. Since this paper carries 200 marks, it should not be treated as a secondary subject.
Minimum Qualifying Marks for Main Examination
The notification states that candidates will have to obtain minimum qualifying marks in the Main Examination to become eligible for the Personality and Viva-Voce stage.
Candidates must secure at least 10% marks in each paper and 15% marks in aggregate out of the total marks of all papers in the Main Examination to qualify for the personality and viva-voce examination.
A relaxation of 5% marks will be given to candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.
Personality and Viva-Voce Stage
Candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the written Main Examination, as fixed by the commission, will be called for Personality and Viva-Voce.
At this stage, candidates may be assessed on character, personality, address, physique, knowledge of Rajasthani culture and overall suitability for administrative services. The marks obtained in this stage will be added to the written Main Examination marks.
